Dark Arts Whiskey House Blunt Blend is one of the most distinctive and talked about craft rye releases in recent years, conceived as the first whiskey deliberately crafted to pair with cannabis. It comes from Dark Arts Whiskey House, a blending, rebarreling, and finishing operation founded in Kentucky in 2023 by Pete Minton, who previously started and ran the single barrel program at Wilderness Trail. For this expression, Minton sourced 7 year old MGP rye from Indiana, built on the classic 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley mashbill, and split it across two finishing regimes: a portion rested in Armagnac casks and a portion in Madeira casks, before blending the two and bottling at cask strength. The name nods playfully toward its intended pairing, with Minton noting he hesitated before calling it Blunt Blend until he saw other cannabis adjacent spirits on the market. The Madeira and Armagnac finishes transform the familiar high rye profile into something far more exotic, layering sweet floral honeysuckle, honey, and orange zest over the rye's natural spice, then moving into earthy, herbal, resinous notes of pine and evergreen that give a subtle nod toward its theme without ever tasting of anything but whiskey. Bottled at 112.8 proof and individually numbered, this is a small, allocated release with a silky, coating mouthfeel and a complex arc of orange and vanilla sweetness, mustiness, peppery spice, and soft tannins. Bold, avant garde, and genuinely unlike any traditional rye, Blunt Blend is a sought after bottle for collectors and adventurous whiskey drinkers alike, best savored neat for slow, contemplative sipping.
ABV / Proof
| Brand |
Dark Arts Whiskey House |
| Distillery |
Distilled at MGP, Indiana; finished, blended, and bottled in Kentucky by Dark Arts Whiskey House |
| Producer |
Dark Arts Whiskey House |
| Category |
Straight Rye Whiskey, Cask Finished |
| Expression |
Blunt Blend, finished in Madeira and Armagnac casks |
| Age Statement |
7 Years |
| Mashbill |
95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley |
| Maturation |
Aged 7 years; finished in Madeira casks and Armagnac casks, then blended |
| Bottling |
Limited, individually numbered, cask strength |
| ABV |
56.4% |
| Proof |
112.8 |
| Bottle Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Indiana (sourced); finished and bottled in Kentucky |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep reddish amber.
Nose: Sweet floral honeysuckle and honey, with orange zest moving into earthy, herbal pine resin and evergreen, finishing with pepper and Armagnac oak.
Palate: Silky and coating, with orange and vanilla sweetness up front, a touch of honey, then mustiness, rye spice, and soft tannins.
Finish: Long and resinous, with rye spice, caramel, chocolate, and fruity terpene notes.
FAQ
What is Blunt Blend? It is a cask strength straight rye from Dark Arts Whiskey House, marketed as the first whiskey crafted to pair with cannabis, finished in both Madeira and Armagnac casks.
What is the base whiskey? Seven year old MGP rye from Indiana on the classic 95 percent rye, 5 percent malted barley mashbill.
What proof is it? 112.8 proof, or 56.4 percent ABV, bottled at cask strength. Note that proof varies between Blunt Blend batches.
Who makes it? Dark Arts Whiskey House, a Kentucky blending and finishing house founded by Pete Minton, formerly of Wilderness Trail.
How should I drink it? Best enjoyed neat to appreciate its complex, cask influenced profile, and crafted for thoughtful, slow sipping.
Where can I buy Dark Arts Blunt Blend online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
